Explanation of "false cognates"

[Chirimoya]

Originally Posted by Lesley D

Nice list. Some of the false cognates made me laugh. I don't if you have ever been to Miami but whenever I go I hear examples of the words you gave used incorrectly of course. A common error from your list is "carpeta". I give up. There is no hope. Also certain phrases that are a literal translation from English to Spanish have become acceptable. For example "Have a nice day" in Spanish spoken in the USA. Take a wild guess.


LDG.

I've only been to the airport in Miami but I felt 'at home' in that when I addressed people in English I got that same vibe, also common in my home town: they think you're being 'comparona' by not speaking Spanish.

No surprise then that no one wished me a nice day. How is it said?

[juancarlos]

I don't know in Miami since I've never lived there- even though I'm Cuban- but here in California I hear people say- Que tenga un buen dia. Is that right or wrong? I would say: Que le vaya bien. Although it does not sound right either. Lesley, what is the proper way to wish someone a nice day in Spanish?

[Lesley D]

I love Miami and Spanish definitely rules there. However, there is a big difference in the generations of speakers for obvious reasons. I was there on vacation last month for a week and I made many mental observations of phrases and words that were said which were obvious parallels of the English expressions and sometimes an English word turned into a Spanish one like “carpeta" but resulting in a “false cognate” however still used even though the true meaning is different.

Juancarlos- “Que tenga un buen día” is what is called a “calque”. It is a loan translation from one language to another. “Que le vaya bien” is the standard phrase in Spanish for “Have a nice day” or common in South America is “Que le vaya bonito”. However the SA usage is very colloquial.

BTW “Que tenga un buen día” es lo que se dice en Miami también.


Def. of “calque” - a compound, derivative, or phrase that is introduced into a language through translation of the constituents of a term in another language.

- the etymology of “calque”: French, literally, copy, from calquer to trace.


LDG.

[Lesley D]

Chiri,

What I meant was the way how they say "have a nice day" in Miami. Forget about speaking English there. Leave it on the plane. If you go to any Spanish establishment people will speak to you in Spanish in Miami. I tested my theory by speaking English in the stores that I went to and everyone answered me in Spanish. Once again it made me laugh. I gave up after one day.


LDG.

Originally Posted by Chirimoya

I've only been to the airport in Miami but I felt 'at home' in that when I addressed people in English I got that same vibe, also common in my home town: they think you're being 'comparona' by not speaking Spanish.

No surprise then that no one wished me a nice day. How is it said?

[juancarlos]

So, Lesley, I was right after all. It's just that I have gotten so used to hearing " que tenga un buen dia", which I know it always sounded strange, that I was no longer sure about " que le vaya bien", which is what I would usually say.

Of course, this is also used sometimes, and depending on the tone in which it is said, to mean "I wish you good luck" or " I wish him good luck", but taking for granted that you are going to find a lot of difficulties in whatever it is you are trying to do. Or another way of saying, ok go ahead, pero no te arriendo las ganancias.

At other times, it is said to or about someone you really don't want to see again. Que le vaya bien, but implying ' stay away, I hope you never come back".

[Hillbilly]

Dominican countryside

recordar ¿A qué hora se recordó el niño? = What time did the baby wake up?

There are lots of these...hehehe

HB

[Stodgord]

Originally Posted by Lesley D

I love Miami and Spanish definitely rules there. However, there is a big difference in the generations of speakers for obvious reasons. I was there on vacation last month for a week and I made many mental observations of phrases and words that were said which were obvious parallels of the English expressions and sometimes an English word turned into a Spanish one like “carpeta" but resulting in a “false cognate” however still used even though the true meaning is different.

Juancarlos- “Que tenga un buen día” is what is called a “calque”. It is a loan translation from one language to another. “Que le vaya bien” is the standard phrase in Spanish for “Have a nice day” or common in South America is “Que le vaya bonito”. However the SA usage is very colloquial.

BTW “Que tenga un buen día” es lo que se dice en Miami también.



Def. of “calque” - a compound, derivative, or phrase that is introduced into a language through translation of the constituents of a term in another language.

- the etymology of “calque”: French, literally, copy, from calquer to trace.


LDG.

Lesley,

Is "que pase un buen dia" correct, or is that the same as "que tenga un buen dia"?

[Lesley D]

Juancarlos,

Thanks for your elaborations on the meanings/ connotations of "que le vaya bien". I agree the usage and meaning depend on the situation.


Stodgord,

In my opinion "que pase un buen día" is just a variation of "que tenga un buen día". Grammatically speaking the phrase is correct however, it is still a calque of the English phrase as I explained in my previous post #13.


LDG.

[Chirimoya]

Quieto, in Spanish, is not "quiet" but "still, unmoving" (the opposite of "inquieto", "restless").

Profundo usually means "deep", rather than "profound".

Fastidioso is "bothersome", not "fastidious"

Soportar is not "to support", but to "suffer" or "tolerate" something.

Pretender doesn't mean "to pretend", but to "try" or "aspire to".

Actualmente is "currently", not "actually", and "actualidad" is "news".

Lectura is the act of "reading", not a "lecture".

Recordar is not to "record", but to "remember".

Ilusión can be "illusion", as in "optical illusion", but is more often used to describe a state of mind: optimism, excitement, eagerness.

Regular does not always mean "regular". More often than not, it means "not so good" or "so-so". Speaking of which...

Soso, applied to food, means "bland", "lacking in salt".

Simpático is "friendly" or "charming", but not necessarily "sympathetic".

Oscuro is "dark", not "obscure".

Pariente is not just a "parent", but any relative.

Informal, when used to describe a person, means he is "unreliable", not that he is casually dressed.

Argumento is Spanish for a "argument" to prove a theory, or "plot" as in a movie plot, but not an argument between two people.

Discusión is an "argument" (usually a loud one), not a "discussion".

Rendición means "surrender", not "rendition"

Rape, which has led to many an inspired menu translation, refers to "monkfish" or "anglerfish".

[mariel]

Originally Posted by Lesley D

1) Librería= book store (not library). Library in Spanish is "biblioteca".

i make this mistake a LOT (but i correct it very quickly)

Originally Posted by La Profe_1

preservativo which is a condom - not preservative

can't "preservativo" be translated as "preservative" in the sense of the chemical preservatives in food?

another thing: what would be the translation of "efectivo" as in "el acuerdo es efectivo a partir del15 de octubre"?

how do you translate "false cognate" to spanish?